


after the fork

by listentokels



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Exes to Lovers, Getting Back Together, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Road Trips, Scandal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listentokels/pseuds/listentokels
Summary: “Why are you here though?” Tobio asks, averting his gaze and turning away to go to his bedroom to grab a shirt. He knows Tooru will follow, about as comfortable in this apartment as Tobio is.“I’m taking you with me to my aunt’s hotel and onsen in Yamagata. Then maybe we can stop in Miyagi before coming back,” Tooru says, as if it’s normal for them to take such a trip together. As if this is the right timing for it.“I’m supposed to lay low, not traipse around Japan going to hot springs,” Tobio tells him, pulling a simple black t-shirt on as he turns to look at Tooru through the closet door. He’s sitting on Tobio’s unmade bed, in the spot that is probably still warm from Tobio’s body heat from just moments before.“That’s why I’m driving us instead of taking the train. My rental’s in the garage downstairs.”Or the one where Kageyama Tobio is hit with an untrue scandal at the height of his career and his ex shows up at his door with car keys and plans for a road trip.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 22
Kudos: 146





	after the fork

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [@BrittneyBabbles](www.twitter.com/BrittneyBabbles) for the readthrough and assist with pacing :)

Scandal hits him at the height of his career, articles splashed across tabloids, reputable magazines, and front pages of newspapers alike.

“JNT Setter Kageyama Tobio Abandons Secret Family?”

It’s an obvious lie, at least to Tobio and anyone who knows him personally. How can he impregnate a woman when he has never had interest in them in the first place? His agent and the JVA know this, but their attempts to stop the story from running fail. And afterwards, it becomes impossible to keep the news from spreading like wildfire to the point that people start believing it.

Tobio doesn’t have a Twitter, barely even uses the Instagram that Hinata made him set up, but he finds himself scrolling his trending tag anyway as his self-proclaimed fans turn against him.

His agent calls and tells him to lay low for a while so they can find proof that the person who sold the story was lying. 

“They always are, but people like to buy into the drama anyway,” Takigaya says, the clickity-clack of furious typing so loud in the background that Tobio can hear it through the phone.

“Right,” Tobio answers. “I just want to play volleyball.”

Takigaya hums, distracted, and Tobio gives him a moment to finish whatever he seems to be splitting his attention on.

“You’ll play again, Kageyama-san. If this weren’t a lie, well, it would be a lot tougher. But you’re innocent and you are one of this generation’s best players. It’ll be easy to bounce back once we expose the truth,” Takigaya tells him. “Take a break. There are only two matches in the next two weeks. Your team will miss you, but they can handle it.”

He agrees, even though it pains him to, knowing the importance of image when it comes to being a professional athlete. Especially at the national level. He resigns himself to practicing alone in his home, setting the ball so his fingers don’t become rusty, while his team release statements on his behalf, work on tracking down the source of the story, and draft up paperwork to prepare for the ensuing libel suit.

Living by himself up in his high-rise condo in Tokyo, he finds himself feeling isolated, the world moving on below him, without him, visible yet out of reach, while he stays trapped inside his own little bubble.

\--

Shoyo shows up at his doorstep a week later, fresh off a train from Osaka. He hands him a Gun Gun Yogurt and tells him to start packing.

“For what?” he asks, watching Shoyo flitter around his half-empty closet with an open duffel bag, throwing in a whole range of clothing from athletic wear to wool sweaters.

“I was tasked with getting you ready for a trip,” Shoyo explains, pausing momentarily in his rummaging through Tobio’s sock drawer to give him a toothy grin.

“A trip? I was told to lay low. Unless Takigaya-san found...,” Tobio trails off before shaking his head. “He would have called me. So what’s this about then?”

“Don’t worry, I got this approved by him and the JVA. As long as you’re not too visible, it should be fine,” Shoyo explains, but it isn’t much of an explanation.

“Too visible where? What trip is this? Where are we going?” Tobio shoots out questions at rapidfire, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Oh, no. No. I’m not going on this trip with you. I’m just making sure you’re ready for it. And I don’t know all the details. We thought it would be for the best in case I get cornered by paparazzi. They know we’re besties, you know?” Hinata says, hands on his hips as he scrutinizes the bag of items he packed. “Better grab your washroom essentials. Dental hygiene is especially important.”

“Shoyo!” Tobio snaps, at wit’s end, hand snapping out to stop Shoyo from throwing even more items into his bag. “What the hell is going on?”

Shoyo looks taken aback for a second before he gives Tobio a soft smile. “Do you trust me?”

“I’m starting to think I shouldn’t,” Tobio responds, but he doesn’t say no.

“This is going to be good for you. I know it. Just go with it, okay?”

Tobio sighs, lets go, and slumps down against his closet wall. Shoyo moves to sit down next to him, their sides pressed against each other. They sit there for a while in silence, allowing Tobio to take solace in Shoyo’s presence.

“I just want to play volleyball with people who love it as much as I do. Why does stuff like this have to come with it?”

Shoyo tilts his head, nestling it on Tobio’s shoulder, his hair tickling at Tobio’s neck. It’s a comforting weight, reminiscent of falling asleep together on the bus during their high school years long ago.

“This sucks now, but it won’t be the end of your career. You’re so good, Kageyama. On the court and off. They’ll find that person and prove it’s a lie in no time.”

“Thanks,” Tobio says quietly.

They sit there for a while until Hinata’s stomach rumbles so loudly that he bursts out laughing. Tobio rolls his eyes. “Come on, I can order something in for us,” Tobio suggests, pushing himself up off the ground to head out to the kitchen.

“Ooh, can we do barbecue?” Hinata asks, trailing after him excitedly.

“Sure. I know a good place that delivers,” Tobio responds.

It’s been a while since they’ve had time to spend together spontaneously like this. Their schedules are often too full during the season. When they’re in the same city, they only ever have a small window of time to hang out and it almost always ends up with their teams getting together instead in group outings because they all know each other. Hanging out with just the two of them is rare and Tobio misses it sometimes. It’s a small blessing, but it’s exactly what Tobio needs.

—

His doorbell jolts him awake the next morning, its crisp sound cutting through the quiet of the apartment. He groans, rolls out of bed rather ungracefully, and trudges out to open the door, feet dragging the whole way. When he pulls the door open, the sight that greets him causes him to immediately straighten up, much more awake than before.

“Tooru, what are you doing here?” he asks in shock.

“Hey, Tobio-chan,” Tooru says, and even though his eyes are hidden behind his sunglasses, Tobio can feel the way they glide over his body, clad only in the soft grey sweatpants he usually sleeps in.

It’s nothing Tooru hasn’t seen before. He’s seen more even, seen just about everything Tobio had been able to give back then, but that knowledge doesn’t keep the heat from rising to his face, coloring his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“Are you going to let me in?” Tooru asks with a raise of his brow, which prompts Tobio to scramble back, making room for Tooru to walk inside. He shuts the door behind him and follows Tooru into the living room where the other has draped his coat and scarf over the armrest of the sectional. Tooru takes his sunglasses off, sliding them into his coat pocket.

“Hajime called me. About what happened,” Tooru says, turning around to face Tobio, arms crossed as he leans against the couch.

He looks as good as he ever did, if maybe a little tanner, with long limbs, broad shoulders, and a face that Tobio still dreams about sometimes. That hasn’t changed since his middle school days, even if the face morphs in expression and grows older with time.

“Why are you here though?” Tobio asks, averting his gaze and turning away to go to his bedroom to grab a shirt. He knows Tooru will follow, about as comfortable in this apartment as Tobio is.

“I’m taking you with me to my aunt’s hotel and onsen in Yamagata. Then maybe we can stop in Miyagi before coming back,” Tooru says, as if it’s normal for them to take such a trip together. As if this is the right timing for it.

“I’m supposed to lay low, not traipse around Japan going to hot springs,” Tobio tells him, pulling a simple black t-shirt on as he turns to look at Tooru through the closet door. He’s sitting on Tobio’s unmade bed, in the spot that is probably still warm from Tobio’s body heat from just moments before.

“That’s why I’m driving us instead of taking the train. My rental’s in the garage downstairs.”

Tobio stares at him, takes in his steady gaze. When Tooru wants something, he never falters, and this seems to be no different. “Come on, Tobio-chan,” Tooru says. “You need the break and I already planned everything. Shoyo packed your bags yesterday, didn’t he?”

“So that was you,” Tobio says, realization dawning on him as to why Shoyo wouldn’t give him any details. Tobio probably would have pretended he wasn’t home this morning if he knew, never quite ready to face Tooru, no matter how much time has passed.

It’s not that it’s hard to be in his presence, to talk to him, to show his vulnerabilities in a vulnerable time such as this. It’s that it’s too easy, sliding back into a comfortable camaraderie that Tobio isn’t sure he’s actually allowed.

“You’ve been working hard up until now. Shitty situation aside, maybe you should take this as an opportunity to take a real break,” Tooru tells him. He pauses before adding, “Besides, we’ve never taken a trip together, so won’t this be so much fun?”

It’s a stab at him, for a broken promise from years ago, but Tooru’s expression isn’t malicious, holds no anger even as Tobio feels his heart leaden with guilt. Tooru was probably banking on that, always knowing the exact right buttons to push to get what he wants. Tobio knows this, had to learn how to say no all those years ago to keep the both of them in check, to keep them from tilting into an irreparable imbalance where Tobio didn’t know how to ask for anything for himself, but was willing to give everything. Even then, saying no never came easy.

But at this moment, it’s clear to Tobio that there’s only one right answer to give to Tooru. He feels like he owes him that much at least.

“When do we leave?” Tobio asks, striding over to the bed and sitting down next to Tooru.

“Well, if you have any food here, I’m famished. Otherwise, no time like the present!” Tooru says, grinning at him with the same grin he used to give to his fans in high school and when they were in university together. Even with a scant few centimeters between them, Tobio can feel the fracture in their once easy familiarity. It’s a rift that Tobio doesn’t think he deserves to bridge, but here Tooru is in front of him with an opportunity. Tobio wants to, even if it means just being friends again.

Tobio shakes his head. “No food here. We can pick something up to eat in the car?”

Tooru sighs, standing up to go back out to the living room. Tobio follows. “Still living the bachelor life, huh? No new cooking skills to impress the boys with?” Tooru asks, putting on his outerwear and pulling a set of jingling keys out of his coat pocket.

“I distinctly remember being the better cook between the two of us, even if it was just eggs,” Tobio says, raising a brow at him.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Tobio-chan. They were pretty good eggs. Not quite the kind of meal to impress anyone with though,” Tooru says with a laugh. “I may have taken some cooking classes with my team. Maybe I can make you something someday.”

Tooru turns away from him at that, walking to the entryway to pull his loafers on. Tobio stares after him, but shakes himself out of his thoughts before he spirals into overthinking. Even if he’s here now, Tooru lives halfway across the world. There won’t be a chance for someday. He grabs the duffel Shoyo packed from his entryway closet along with his winter wear and after a moment, they’re on their way down to the building’s garage.

—-

Tobio learns something new about Tooru— he’s not a good driver. In fact, he’s awful at it to the point that Tobio feels like his hand may be permanently stuck gripping the side of the car door, his knuckles white, as Tooru maneuvers them through Tokyo traffic until they’re in the suburbs. “Family Mart for food?” Tooru asks cheerfully once they’ve slowed down and there are few enough cars on the road that Tooru’s driving feels safer.

Tobio prys his hand off the door, flexing his fingers to loosen his muscles and joints. “I’m not sure I’m hungry anymore, but let’s take a look,” he responds dryly, though Tooru doesn’t even seem to notice Tobio’s reaction to his driving.

When they pull into the lot for the convenience store, Tooru pulls the handle that leans his chair back to grab a small black plastic bag from the back seat. He pulls out a cap and dark sunglasses. “To disguise yourself,” he explains, thrusting both items at Tobio.

“Er,” Tobio starts, having tried something like this before with no luck, but Tooru is so gleefully pulling on a cute panda winter hat and thick-rimmed fake glasses that Tobio doesn’t have the heart to tell him. Tobio doubts anyone will recognize the Argentinian setter, but for his own sake, he can only hope that no one in the store watches volleyball.

The store is thankfully empty, as they browse the aisles together looking for their breakfast as well as some road trip snacks. Tobio grabs a couple bottles of yogurt and milk, placing it into the basket Tooru is holding. Tooru glances at them, shoots Tobio a look that can only be construed as fond, before he’s ducking around a corner to look at the sweets aisle. Tobio can’t help but to recall a time when they were poor college students, picking up ramen for a late night meal.

He goes to the fridge to look at the handheld foods instead and grabs a few different kinds of onigiri. On his way back around the store to find Tooru, he passes by the magazine stand and freezes when he sees his own face staring back at him. As he’s reaching out a hand to pick one of them up, Tooru is suddenly in front of him, reaching out to grab his wrist and yank him away.

“We’re on vacation. Don’t you dare look at any of that. Even on your phone,” Tooru snarls at him. He takes the onigiri from Tobio’s hand. 

“If you don’t want anything else, wait in the car for me,” he instructs before tossing the car keys at Tobio. Tobio catches them with ease, watching Tooru’s back as he moves away from him towards the cash register. The sound of the door opening and a group of people entering brings Tobio out of his reverie and he goes out to sit in the car as instructed, thinking of Tooru’s overprotective reaction. Tobio is grateful that he still cares.

When Tooru returns, he pulls a sandwich out from the store bag before handing it over to Tobio. Tobio takes out his onigiri and sets the rest of it down by his feet. They’re silent as Tooru pulls back onto the road, both nibbling at their breakfast.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Tooru says thirty minutes later, as Tobio is drifting off to sleep, his head awkwardly leaning on the window, cheek plastered against the glass.

“Huh?” he grunts, half awake.

“I know how you are. You don’t care about the rumors, but you do care about whether it’ll affect your ability to keep playing volleyball,” Tooru voices quietly. “Those tabloids and random people on the internet? They always say the nastiest things, but it’s _never_ true. I don’t want you to worry about it.”

“I…,” Tobio starts, but he stops when he realizes that Tooru is right. Even if he had wanted to just read the article out of curiosity, seeing any comment about the “end of his career” would have caused him to spiral. Unnecessarily too, when he knows his agent would call him before anything that bad occurs. Tooru always did know him well. “Thanks,” he settles on saying, and they slip back into a comfortable silence for another ten minutes.

“I’m turning on the radio,” Tooru says, reaching out to press the buttons on the console, looking for a station that plays the kind of music he likes. He settles on pop, the kind of songs Tobio hears playing overhead when he’s out shopping.

When Tooru starts singing softly under his breath, Tobio is lulled back to sleep, thinking of summer nights on his sectional in front of the TV.

—

He’s shaken awake later, Tooru’s hand pulling away as he opens his eyes. When he checks the time, he notices that it’s only been an hour since he’d fallen asleep. They’re not even halfway to Yamagata yet.

“I saw a sign for Nikko and decided to take a detour,” Tooru says sheepishly, when he sees the confusion on Tobio’s face. “I’ve always wanted to see the Nikko Tosho-Gu Shrine.”

“The what?” Tobio asks, mouth stretching into a wide yawn as he gently rubs the sleep from his eyes.

“The shrine built in honor of Ieyasu Tokugawa.”

When Tobio looks at him blankly, Tooru sighs. “You really never think about anything other than volleyball, do you?”

“I do!” Tobio protests. “Just not…” He gestures his hand in the air as if it explains anything.

Tooru rolls his eyes. “Well, I’ve always wanted to see it so we’re seeing it,” he says, opening the car door and stepping outside before Tobio can even respond.

Tobio opens his own door and shivers when the chill hits him, feeling it much worse than before now that they’re moving north and he’s leaving the warmth of the seat he was curled up in. He wonders briefly if Shoyo packed him a warmer coat than the one he has on, thinking he may need to ask Tooru to stop by a shopping center if he hasn’t. Rubbing his hands together, he reaches into his pockets to find his gloves, slipping them onto his stiff, frozen fingers.

Tooru is already halfway to the modern-looking building the car lot belongs to so Tobio jogs to catch up to him. “It’s supposed to snow soon. I figured we’d stay overnight,” Tooru explains when Tobio is next to him.

“Oh. Is your aunt not expecting us?” Tobio asks.

“I texted her earlier to update her,” Tooru says as he pushes through the door of what Tobio assumes is a hotel. The lobby is just as modern as the outside, but cozy with warm lighting and wood details. There’s even a fireplace in the lobby, lit and emitting a warmth that Tobio is immediately drawn to.

“Don’t get distracted; you’re not a moth. We need to see if they have rooms first,” Tooru snaps with a roll of his eyes, grabbing Tobio’s arm to pull him to the front desk. He puts on a charming smile when the front desk employee greets them. 

“Hi,” he says, leaning against the counter to peer at her nametag. “Hi Tachibana-chan. I hope you’re having a lovely day so far.” 

She giggles, the same way a lot of girls do when Tooru smiles at them.

“We rather spontaneously stopped here in Nikko and haven’t booked accommodations yet. Do you have any rooms available for tonight?” Tooru asks, the simpering smile still on his face.

“Oh, yes! We actually just had a cancellation due to the snow forecast,” she says to Tooru sweetly, a hand brushing a strand of hair behind her ears. When she glances nervously in Tobio’s direction immediately after, Tobio realizes he’s glaring at them. He wills himself to relax his expression and turns to look out the floor to ceiling windows of the entrance instead. He’s never had an easy time watching Tooru flirt.

“It’s only one bed though, if that’s okay,” he hears her say, and freezes, wishing he hadn’t turned away so he could catch Tooru’s reaction.

“That should be fine. It’s just for one night anyway, and we’ll be sightseeing for most of our stay,” Tooru says, the words rolling out of him quickly and effortlessly. Like it doesn’t bother him. Like he doesn’t seem to have been affected at all.

Tobio closes his eyes and tells himself to breathe steadily, normally, even though his chest feels just a little tighter. Friends, he thinks. Friends are okay with sharing space intimately. But Tobio never stopped wanting, so how will he be able to pretend otherwise? He has always been too honest with his emotions, and Tooru, too able to see right through him. A car ride is simple enough to hide himself away during, curled to one side, while Tooru drives on the other. A shared bed in the darkness of night on the other hand...Tobio doesn’t know how to stop wanting.

He hears Tooru wrapping up his conversation with the front desk agent, and takes a deep breath, willing himself to stop thinking about it. When Tooru steps beside him to hand him the keycard to their room, he thinks he’s successful when Tooru makes no comment. They go to the car to grab their belongings and head to their room.

When Tobio spots the couch in the room, he almost sighs in relief. “I can take the couch tonight,” he says, as he sets his bag down on one of the armchairs.

“No way, that’s an awful idea. We are both too old and too careful about our bodies to possibly fuck up our backs like that. The bed is plenty big enough for the both of us,” Tooru points out.

There isn’t a way to respond to Tooru without revealing exactly why he doesn’t want to share a bed. How could he possibly tell Tooru that over a year later, he still can’t suppress the desire he feels when he thinks of them in bed together? That he’s afraid that his body will betray him in his sleep and hold Tooru the way he still craves to? Tooru clearly doesn’t have the same issue.

Tobio can only acquiesce, but he knows his night will be restless.

—

He knew he was in trouble. Probably knew it as soon as he opened his door and saw Tooru on the other side if he’s being honest with himself. But It’s later, after they traipse the shrine grounds together taking in the sights, after the peruse and buy cute charms from the souvenir shop, and after they make their way to the Shinkyo Bridge that Tobio understands exactly how much trouble. 

Tobio watches, when they’re standing on the bridge, the moment the snow begins to fall and Tooru starts laughing with childlike wonder, illuminated by the glow of the nearby street lights. He’s a vision, gorgeous and magnificent. One that Tobio has seen over and over in different settings and scenarios throughout his life. A vision that appears in both his happiest and darkest dreams. Tobio knows, in that moment, that he won’t be able to end this trip without his heart laid bare on the table between them, ready to be handled or carved up however Tooru wants it to be. He’s too full of everything he’s ever felt for the other man to keep it in any longer, having bottled it all up for far too long as their time apart passed by without a day where he didn’t think about him.

Back in the hotel room, Tobio sits on the bed and listens to the spray of the shower that Tooru is in, wondering if he made the wrong decision in agreeing to this trip. If he’s only chosen to have his heart break again. When it comes to Tooru, he never knows what decision is right.

“Hey, you’re not sick are you?” Tooru asks, suddenly in front of him, snapping him out of his thoughts. Tooru has a towel draped low on his hips, and Tobio stares at him and wants. Their eyes meet.

A switch seems to flip, Tooru’s eyes darkening, and before Tobio knows it Tooru is crowding up against him, gently pushing his shoulders back until Tobio is lying flat on the bed with Tooru straddling his hips. Their lips meet, ravenous and urgent. Tooru tastes sweet on his tongue, like honey and temptation.

Tobio has missed the feel of Tooru’s skin against his own. Missed the spiced scent of Tooru’s shampoo, delicate yet heady, so much more pleasant and familiar on Tooru’s body than the times Tobio has used the same brand in the past.

He reaches out to touch, fingers dancing along every surface he can possibly get his hands on, eventually cupping the back of Tooru’s neck to deepen their kiss. Tooru whines, hands grasping blindly, desperately at the hem of Tobio’s t-shirt, pushing up to expose his torso.

Tobio can feel Tooru’s arousal on his stomach as he leans over him; knows that Tooru can feel him too.

It’s been so long since Tobio desired this strongly. So long since he’s wanted someone so badly that he feels intoxicated, drowning in their essence, their very existence, with no inclination of getting out.

He’s no saint; healthy, red-blooded, and young with a plethora of options in the city. He’s had his fair share of bed partners since they parted, and he’s sure Tooru has too. They satisfied him enough. He had fun. But they’ve never felt like _this_. Like nothing will ever be enough. And Tobio knows exactly why.

Because he never loved them the way he loves Tooru. The way he has never stopped loving Tooru even with the heartbreak of parting and half a world’s distance between them.

Tobio pushes against Tooru’s chest, forcing the word, “Stop” out of his throat.

He can’t do this with Tooru without wanting everything else too. Everything they used to have and everything they could have in the future. If he lets himself have him for one night only to wake up the next morning as barely even friends again, he’ll break, and where would that leave him?

Tooru backs off quickly, clutching at his towel to keep it from falling. “Right,” he says, standing in front of Tobio again as if they were never touching in the first place.

“I...Just can’t right now,” Tobio tries to find the words, as he feels his heart beating against his ribcage painfully. “Not like this.”

“No need to explain yourself,” Tooru laughs hollowly, a sound that grates on Tobio’s ears, and Tobio reaches out to grasp at Tooru’s wrist before he can back away.

“Tooru, we need to talk,” Tobio says.

Gently, Tooru pries himself from Tobio’s grasp. He won’t look Tobio in the eyes. “Let’s talk tomorrow. Go shower.”

When Tobio finishes his shower, Tooru is fast asleep on the bed, back turned towards Tobio and as close to the edge as he could possibly be without falling off.

—

The next morning, Tobio is woken up when his duffel bag is thrown beside him. He sees Tooru standing at the foot of the bed, one hand on his hip, expression shuttered and unsmiling. “Tooru,” Tobio says, voice groggy. He’s barely awake, but he knows that they need to talk before the rest of their trip or neither of them will enjoy it.

Tooru gestures at his bag. “Don’t forget your toiletries. I’ve already taken my stuff to the car.”

Without even letting Tobio get a word in, he’s out the door, leaving Tobio to scramble to get his things together to catch up.

At the car, Tobio immediately says, “Can we talk?” knowing that Tooru won’t want to. He never did like to listen immediately after an argument or issue.

Tooru gets into the car and shuts the door without answering.

The air in the car is cold between them, even with the heat on full blast. Tooru stops him before he can even talk, saying he needs to concentrate on the GPS to get them back on the expressway. Tobio allows him this, takes the time to let his brain wake up and formulate exactly what he wants to say to Tooru. Is it possible to simply just tell him he still loves him and hope for the best? What happens if Tooru only wants to rekindle their physical relationship? Will Tobio still say yes because he’ll take whatever he can get even though he knows it’ll ruin him when Tooru leaves again? 

By Tobio’s estimation, they’re stuck in the car with each other for two and a half hours, so Tobio steels himself to start the conversation once they pull onto the expressway..

“Tooru,” he starts, turning the volume of the radio down so that he can be heard above the music.

Tooru gasps dramatically, exaggeratedly, as if offended. “This is my favorite song, Tobio-chan. You can’t just decide to turn it down all on your own like that.”

He presses and holds the volume button, the music becoming much louder than it was before. Tobio remembers Tooru’s favorite song. It never changed once in the years after their Kitagawa days, back when he would play it in the clubroom so often that Iwaizumi almost threw his bluetooth speakers off the balcony. The repetitive tune on the radio isn’t it.

“Tooru,” Tobio repeats, reaching out to turn down the volume again. Tooru starts singing loudly along to the words before Tobio can even press the button. His head movements are enthusiastic, mouth opening wide to project his voice, but Tobio spots the way his hands grip the steering wheel just a little tighter.

Every attempt to get Tooru’s attention is drowned out by humming or lines in the song. Tobio isn’t sure how he could possibly have the lung capacity to get louder when Tobio tries to talk above his voice. With mounting frustration, before Tobio can stop himself and think of the consequences, the words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop himself. “You’ve always been such a terrible singer.”

Tooru freezes at his words, the song dying on his tongue as the radio plays on without his accompaniment. It’s the result that Tobio wanted, but attained much more indelicately than he would have hoped. Tobio shuts off the radio before the next song can come on. The car becomes silent, only the hum of the engine audible, and the tension feels thick enough to cut with a knife.

Tobio sighs before huffing out a laugh. “It’s true. You used to always sing so loudly and awfully in the shower even on the mornings where all I wanted was to sleep in. It was the worst.”

“What’s your point,” Tooru says flatly, angrily staring straight ahead, grip still firm on the steering wheel. 

“My point is,” Tobio starts, angling his body to look at Tooru’s side profile even if Tooru can’t take his eyes off of the road. The sky is overcast, no illumination from the sun in sight, and Tooru still looks as much a vision as he did the night before. “My point is that I suffered through it and loved you anyway. That ever since you left, I’ve missed you so much, that I wish I had your singing to wake me up every morning. That I still love you and never stopped loving you.”

Time seems to stand still after that, although the scenery passing by their windows prove otherwise. The silence stretches, quiet enough that one could hear a pin drop even on the padded floors of a car. Tobio waits for Tooru to say something, anything, even if it’s to tell him that he stopped loving him months ago the way Tobio tried to after Tooru left. Suddenly, he feels their momentum slow as Tooru pulls them into a parking area off the expressway.

As soon as they’re parked, Tooru unbuckles his seat belt to turn towards Tobio and demands of him, ”Say that again.”

It’s easy for him to repeat himself, because Tobio has never been anything but honest. “I never stopped loving you,” Tobio says simply. “I didn’t want anything to happen between us last night without letting you know what it would have meant to me.”

Tooru starts laughing, loudly, heartily, so much so that tears form in his eyes and spill over. Tobio quickly realizes that they’re real tears, not just from the laughter, when Tooru starts to sniffle.

“I thought...I thought when you broke up with me and you said you still loved me, you were lying to soften the blow,” Tooru says, through his tears.

“I’m sorry for making you think I didn’t love you anymore,” Tobio says, and he can feel his throat tightening, the tears gathering at the corner of his own eyes, even as he reaches out to wipe away the ones on Tooru’s face.

“I hated you after, you know? I never thought between the two of us that you would be the one to end it first,” Tooru says, and Tobio’s thumb pauses on Tooru’s cheek. 

Tobio starts to pull his hand back, but Tooru’s hand darts up to stop him. “I’m sorry,” Tobio says, voice cracking. “I didn’t want to.”

Tooru closes his eyes, breathing in deeply. “ I hated you, but you were right. To end it when you did. We wouldn’t have survived me leaving. I was so busy settling in, I didn’t even talk to Hajime for months. You would have been so accepting of it, so understanding, and I would have resented you for not missing me more,” Tooru tells him.

Tobio laughs, not because it’s funny, but because Tooru was right. The movement causes his own tears to fall. “I missed you more than anything, but I would have never let you know because I wouldn’t have wanted you to worry. I missed you so much, that if you had asked me to come to Argentina permanently, I wouldn’t have been able to say no to you.”

Tobio tugs his hand away from Tooru and moves to hold both his hands in his own instead. His breath is shuddery as he continues, “Our careers were just picking up, and we were both so busy. We wouldn’t have been able to give each other everything, not the way I wanted to. I would have given up everything for you and neither of us would have been happy.”

“I don’t know about you, but even when I was happy with everything else, I still missed you,” Tooru murmurs, fidgeting with their hands. Tobio can feel the calluses on his fingers trailing along the skin of his palm. Tooru continues, “I still love you too. If that wasn’t obvious from the way I dropped everything to come to Japan when I heard what happened.”

“I honestly wasn’t sure. You always cared, even before you loved me. And you always did the craziest things. Moving to Argentina, for example.”

Tooru laughs, and Tobio joins him. They stay like that for a while, in the warmth of the car and each other’s company, their hands in each other’s a more intimate act than any kiss could be at that moment.

Tooru breaks the silence. “Tobio. Even with the distance, with the lack of communication, and not seeing each other for over a year, we never gave up on each other. We can make this work, right?”

There’s a glimmer in Tooru’s red-rimmed eyes. Tobio recognizes it as hope, something he feels his own eyes probably mirror.

“Yes,” Tobio answers. “Yes, if you want.”

Tooru reaches up to grab at his collar, tugging him closer until their lips touch gently, their mouths eventually parting in soft sighs. A kiss to begin again.

Tooru smiles when he pulls back. A real, genuine smile. “We need to get back on the road.”

“Yeah,” Tobio says. “Let’s go.”

And even though Tooru’s driving already isn’t the steadiest even with two hands, Tobio holds tightly onto one of them the rest of the way to Yamagata.

—

“I need to ask you something,” Tooru says, when they’ve settled into the room at the inn.

“What’s that?” Tobio asks, pulling one of the yukata out of the wardrobe to change into.

“Your scandal. I know I took you on this trip so you wouldn’t think about it, but I’ve been reading about it.”

“Yeah?” Tobio asks, moving to settle down onto the futon next to Tooru, the yukata draped over his arm.

“The timeline she gave. She says she met you two years ago in July. In Tokyo. She says you spent the month with her,” Tooru states. He stares at Tobio, willing him to understand where he was going.

Tobio’s eyes widen when he remembers. “That was when we were staying with your family in Miyagi for your birthday. Before I was drafted and you decided to leave,” he says, voice full of amazement.

“I know that two years ago it would have been a bad idea, but how about now? Do you want to go public with me?” Tooru asks, fidgeting with the zipper pull on his jacket.

Before Tobio can answer, his phone rings. “It’s my agent,” he says when he looks at the caller ID.

“Go ahead,” Tooru tells him, waving him off. Tooru takes the yukata from Tobio so that he can step out into their private outdoor bath to pick up his phone.

When he steps back inside, he thinks he must look stupefied, because Tooru’s face is pinched with worry.

“What happened?”

“Ali Roma offered me a contract for next season,” Tobio responds, breathlessly, still disbelieving.

“Italy? I can’t believe you got an offer from them first. Everyone always thinks I would fit in there,” Tooru grumbles, and Tobio has to smile.

“Tooru,” he says, chuckling.

Tooru looks over at him before he silently mouths an oh in realization. 

“Right. Congratulations! You’re signing, right? Italy is the best league in the world. And they want you!” Tooru exclaims excitedly. “Plus it means I can visit you in Rome and stay in your apartment.”

“Wow, I can really feel your support,” Tobio jokes. He sits down on the tatami next to Tooru. “Tooru, I told Takigaya-san about us.”

“You want to then. Go public,” Tooru asks, reaching out to grasp his hand.

Tobio nods. “I’m going to sign with Ali Roma. If Japan doesn’t want me after all of this, I’ll find somewhere else to play for.”

“They’re idiots if they can’t see what a loss that would be for them,” Tooru says, giving his hand a tight squeeze. “I’m not asking you to go there, but I want you to know, you’ll always have a home in Argentina with me. I’ll be a citizen by next year.”

“Thought you wanted to play against me on the world stage,” Tobio teases.

Tooru lets go and give his shoulder a rough shove. He rolls his eyes, “You have to _be_ on the world stage for me to be able to crush you. Besides, I’m still winning in our tally last I checked, so I don’t _need_ to crush you to know I’m the better setter.”

Tobio scoffs. “You’re only winning by one, so it doesn’t even really count until we have another match.”

“Guess you better make it to the World Championships with Italy then, Tobio.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” Tobio says, before pulling Tooru into a kiss to end the conversation. “Come on. Onsen time.”

He’ll worry about it all later, after he spends time learning Tooru all over again. It’s easy, because loving Tooru has always been easy for him, since the very beginning.

—

Tobio announces everything in a statement at a press conference a week later, once they’re back in Tokyo.

“As you may have seen, a story about me was recently sold to the press. I do not blame them for believing it, as I was not honest with everyone. So this is me, being honest. I’m gay. I have always been gay. While this does not prove the story to be false, the fact that I was with my partner and his family the dates that were cited in the article does. It is important for me to clarify this with you all, because my partner is important to me and I want no further misunderstandings that I would be with anyone other than him.”

The audience is rowdy, clamoring to ask questions, but Tobio doesn’t plan to answer them.

“Furthermore, I’ve signed a contract with Ali Roma in Italy and will be playing there starting next season. At this time, it is the best decision for my career, but Japan is still my home, and I will be playing with the National Team at the 2020 Olympics. I hope to have your continued support. If there are any questions, please direct them to my agent, Takigaya Ken. Thank you,” he says, bowing before he leaves the stage.

Takigaya slaps him on the shoulder as they exchange places, an encouraging smile on his face. Tooru is waiting for him in the back hallway.

“So I can post a picture of us together now?” Tooru asks, already scrolling through his camera roll looking at their selfies.

“I don’t understand why you need to so badly,” Tobio answers, leading them down the path to the car his agent has waiting for them.

“I need Argentina to know I’m off the market. You try dealing with a team of hopeless romantics while single before giving me grief,” Tooru retorts, sticking his tongue out at Tobio.

Tobio slides an arm around Tooru’s waist, pulling him close for a quick, chaste kiss. “I guess it’s a good thing I don’t plan on being single for a very long time then.”

**Author's Note:**

> The timeline in my head for this: Tooru goes to university after graduating high school (2013). Tobio ends up at a nearby university (2015). They meet on the court and end up spending time together outside of matches. They start dating at the end of 2015. Tooru finishes his degree in March 2017, Tobio gets an offer from the V.League the same year a month later and drops out of college after 2 years. Tooru is supportive, but a little jealous. He talks to Blanco and plans to go to Argentina. They spend July 2017 in Miyagi for Tooru's birthday. Right after, Tooru tells Tobio he is going to Argentina. Tobio breaks up with Tooru in September 2017 before Tooru leaves. Tobio debuts in the V.League in October 2017. This fic takes place at the beginning of 2019. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this! I actually had fun writing this one. I appreciate any kudos or comments, and feel free to chat with me on Twitter at [@mmshokupan](www.twitter.com/mmshokupan).


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